Automatic grapple



July 10, 1934.

J. J. KRAMER AUTOMATIC GRAPPLE Filed April 27, 1932 Patented July 10, 1934 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to automatic grapples of that general type used for the purpose of catching fish, animals, and for other purposes.

An object of the invention is to provide an automatic grapple which shall be quick in operation reliable in action, and will embody a pair of novel springs so constructed and assembled with the handle and with the hooks as to prevent angling pressure on the hooks so that shearing of the pivot pins is positively prevented and thus long life and durability of the device greatly promoted.

A further object is to provide an automatic grapple in which the pivotal connections of the springs with the hooks, as well as the pivotal connection of the hooks with each other will not only always be maintained in the same general plane but will stop movement of the hooks to set, that is open or oil center, position, and to closed position accurately and positively so that at no time can the points of the hooks pass each other or contact with each other during opening or closing movements, and consequently the efiiciency of the device will be maintained throughout the life of the implement.

A further object is to provide an automatic grapple having a comparatively long sectional handle having novel screw joints.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the automatic pp Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, and,

Figure 4 is a detail View of the handle with parts in section.

The automatic grapple comprises a pair or hooks of substantially J-shape, the shanks of the hooks interfitting at the inner ends and being connected by a pivot pin 11. As best shown in Figure 2, one of the shanks is provided with a pair of hinge ears 12, between which a hinge ear 13, carried by the other shank, fits. The hinge ear 13 is rounded, as shown at 14 in Fig- 55 ure 1, while the end of the shank between the hinge ears 12 is substantially V-shaped, as shown at 15. Thus the straight edge of the ear 13 will engage one of the inclined surfaces of the V- shaped wall when the hooks are closed to limit closing movement so that the points 16 of the hooks cannot contact and become dull, while the rounded edge 14 of said ear engages the other inclined surface of the V-shaped wall when the hooks are open and limits opening movement of the hooks to the oli center, or set, or full open position, shown in dotted lines.

The hooks are assembled on a handle 17 by means of a pair of coil springs 18. These springs are provided with straight pointed shanks 19 which, as best shown in Figure 2, are driven into the end of the handle near the peripheral edge thereof, that is, to one side of the longitudinal axis of the handle. To prevent splitting of the handle a ferrule 20 surrounds the handle for substantially the length of the shanks. Both springs coil inwardly and terminate beyond the coil in short straight terminals 21 which, as best shown in Figure 3, are disposed diametrically opposite from each other in the plane of the axis of the handle.

The terminals of the springs are fitted with sleeves 22 which are rigidly secured to the terminals in any preferred manner and terminate in hinge cars 23 which enter sockets 24 formed in the shanks of the hooks. Pivot pins 25 are passed through the ears and through the shanks to pivotally attach the springs to the hooks.

By virtue of the springs coiling inwardly and terminating in straight terminals 21 disposed diametrically opposite each other in the same plane as the axis of the handle, accurate operation is assured during both opening and closing movements of the hooks. Comparatively large coils, it will be noted, are made possible by this construction, while the terminals 21 of the springs are comparatively short, and the purpose of this is to promote speed and strength. It will be particularly pointed out that since the terminals of the springs are in the same plane it is possible to mount the hooks also in the same plane as the sleeves and thus there is no angling action during operation of the hooks which in ordinary grapples has been found to shear off the pivots as well as slow up the action and soon cause such excessive wear on the pivots as to render the grapple ineffective.

It will be observed that the sleeves 22 terminate in rounded edges 26 and that the walls of the sockets or recesses 24 are provided with two sloping surfaces 27 which converge toward a fiat end wall 28. The purpose of this construction is to permit the rounded edge 26 riding on the end wall 28 during opening or closing of the hooks, while when the hooks arrive at full open or oil center position, shown in dotted lines, both sleeves 22 will contact with the outer sloping wall 27 at the same time the end wall 14 of one of the hooks contacts with the end wall 15 of the other hook and positively and accurately limits such opening movement. During closing movement of the hooks the sleeves 22 will contact with the inner sloping walls 2'7 as the hooks arrive at closed position and positively and accurately limit such closing movements so that the hooks can never pass each other or contact with each other with consequent dulling of the points.

The handle 1'7 is preferably formed of a plurality of wood sections joined together bythreaded interfitting sleeves 29 and 30 of tubing, male and female type, permanently secured to the sections by rivets 31. Preferably the terminal section is provided with an opening to receive a thong 32 by means of which the implement may be attached to the boat so as not to be lost if it should slip from the operators grasp.

To set or'open the hooks it is simply necessary to grasp the handle and press the hooks against the bottom of the boat or other support until they spread apart to the off center or full open position. The implement may then be lowered on the object desired. As soon as the set pivoted inner ends of the hook shanks touch the object the joint yields and the force of both springs urges the hooks forcibly to closed position with a sudden snap action to impale the object on the hooks.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of my invention will be fully understood without further explanation.

What is claimed isi 1. An automatic grapple comprising hooks pivotally connected together at the inner ends, a handle, a pair of coil springs having pointed shanks embedded in the end of the handle near the edge of the handle, said springs coiling inwardly toward each other and terminating in straight short terminals disposed in the axial plane of the handle, said terminals having hinge ears at the extreme ends thereof, recesses formed in the shanks of the hooks receiving said hinge ears, and pivot pins passed through said ears and through said shanks, said recesses having opposite sloping walls engageable with said hinge ears to limit opening and closing movement of the hooks.

2. An automatic grapple comprising hooks pivotallyconnected-at their inner ends, one of said hooks being provided near its inner end with shoulders selectively engageable by the inner end portion of the other hook for limiting the hooks in their movement to open and closed positions respectively, a handle, a pair of coil springs having attaching shanks secured to the handle on opposite sides of the axis thereof, said springs coiling inwardly toward each other and. terminating in straight short normally parallel terminals disposed diametrically opposite each other in the axial plane of the handle, and means pivotally connecting said terminals to the inner end portions of the hooks, the inner end portionsof the hooks being recessed to receive said terminals and said recesses having oppositely sloping walls selectively engageable with said terminals for limiting the hooks in their opening and closing movement.

JOHN J. KRAMER. [L.S.] 

